The basic element of a typical rope structure is a fiber. The fibers are typically combined into a rope subcomponent referred to as a yarn. The yarns may further be combined to form rope subcomponents such as bundles or strands. The rope subcomponents are then combined using techniques such as braiding, twisting, and weaving to form the rope structure.
Different types of fibers typically exhibit different characteristics such as tensile strength, density, flexibility, and abrasion resistance. Additionally, for a variety of reasons, the costs of different types of fibers can vary significantly.
A rope structure designed for a particular application may comprise different types of fibers. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,134,267 and 7,367,176 assigned to the assignee of the present application describe rope subcomponents comprising fibers combined to provide desirable strength and surface characteristics to the rope structure.
The need exists for rope structures that optimize a given operating characteristic or set of characteristics of a rope structure while also minimizing the cost of materials used to form the rope structure.